I’m excited to share that I’ve recently embarked on an exciting new chapter as the Project Engagement Officer for South Cumbria Rivers Trust (SCRT). This is a role that combines my love for the environment and community engagement. I couldn’t be more thrilled to contribute to the conservation of the rivers and lakes of South Cumbria. I’ve always had a deep interest in the natural world, which led me to pursue a degree in Physical Geography, giving me a solid…

Trees are truly amazing and enrich our lives in many ways. Trees, hedges, and woodlands have multiple benefits for people and nature; they are host to a range of wildlife species, provide us with clean air and offer protection against noise and pollution. Trees can reduce flooding as well as sequester and store carbon. In a group, a line or standing tall on its own, a tree can be home to a wide variety of wildlife. It is estimated that…

For World Soil Day (December 5th) we thought we’d do a piece about soils of course! Some background Soils are vitally important for all life on the planet. That’s due to their role in providing both a substrate AND the water, nutrients, and minerals plants need to grow. They also play important roles in carbon storage, as habitat for up to one-quarter of global species and in the water cycle! Crikey, they work hard for us… Soils are often the…

That’s right, we have ANOTHER reed project getting underway. For those not familiar with reeds and what SCRT do, here is a very brief history… Background Here at South Cumbria Rivers Trust (SCRT for short), we have been restoring reedbeds since 2013! More specifically around Windermere, but we have done some work around Coniston too. As part of the Windermere Restore the Shore project, with the Environment Agency and other partners, SCRT commissioned the Freshwater Biological Association to carry out…

Well, it’s been an interesting couple of years developing the Windermere Community Partnership, I can tell you. The background Let’s start off with what it is, shall we. The Windermere Community Partnership (WCP) was an idea that started with Jayne, Kath and myself thinking about if and what the Windermere catchment needs. There was no central partnership dedicated to supporting the communities in the Windermere and Leven catchment. To this end, we put in an application and received funding from…

Fencing One of the initiatives South Cumbria Rivers Trust delivers is protecting rivers through watercourse fencing. Fencing offers several advantages including safeguarding livestock by preventing them from accessing steep banks, reducing poaching next to the river, which reduces the amount of fine sediment entering a watercourse. The space between the fence and the river becomes a buffer strip and can be utilised for planting trees or maintaining natural vegetation. Crucially, this space absorbs surplus surface run-off, contributes significantly to improving…

World Wildlife Day by Hannah Teagle, Project officer Sunday the 3rd March 2024 was World Wildlife Day! A day dedicated to recognising the roles and contributions of wildlife to people and the planet. Freshwater habitats such as rivers, lakes and ponds are essential for diverse and healthy wildlife ecosystems. The work we do here at SCRT aims to actively improve these habitats for aquatic species such as salmon, trout, otter, kingfishers and more! One project with a heavy focus on these…

Well it’s been an amazing year for the Windermere catchment, if we do say so ourselves. South Cumbria Rivers Trust received funding from Garfield Weston in October 2022 to set up and develop a Windermere Community Partnership for the communities of the Windermere and Leven catchment. If you don’t know what a community partnership is, let’s start at the beginning. Catchment Partnerships South Cumbria Rivers Trust are the Defra appointed host of the South Cumbria Catchment Partnership: Becks to Bay.…

The project This 5-year project which will finish in 2026, aims to restore the River Kent Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). How? Through habitat improvement works largely focusing on providing habitats suitable for fish (including salmon and trout), freshwater pearl mussels and white-clawed crayfish. The project has four partners: Natural England, South Cumbria Rivers Trust, Freshwater Biological Association and the Environment Agency. Our objectives are very clear – monitor, conserve, protect, rehabilitate and…

By Kath Smith, our Community and Engagement Officer Nature is in crisis. Connecting more people of all ages to rivers, lakes and the wider environment has never been more important. So how do SCRT do this? Through education and engagement with nature and our freshwater environments. Sharing our knowledge and love for freshwater is key to helping people understand what is special about our rivers and lakes as well as the pressures they face. From knowledge comes understanding, from understanding…